ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fork · clip · present · temple · pound · season · mark · roll

  1. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — to cut
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. mark — a trace
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. season — in sport
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. mark — a grade
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. pound — a weight
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. season — of the year
  16. present — there
  17. fork — in a road
  18. clip — a video
  19. roll — a list
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. clip — for paper
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — on a roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com